In Control
by Mythborn's Chaos
Summary: Trained from a young age by his uncle in the use of a terrifying semblance, Jaune Arc is more powerful than any believe. When his secret comes out it sets the world of Remnant down a different path.
1. Chapter 1

Jaune Arc was not considered strong by any means. He had never attended combat school, to common knowledge he hadn't killed a grimm until the second day of Beacon, in fact he had forged his way into the school in which he was currently sitting. Most of his classmates viewed him as a leech upon team JNPR, his three teammates being absolute powerhouses in their own right: Pyrrha Nikos, the Mistral Tournament Champion, Lie Ren, the silent warrior, and Nora Valkyrie, the super charged berserker with a penchant for breaking legs. Unknown to all besides himself however, was the fact that Jaune was quite possibly the most dangerous of the team. His danger lied in his semblance, a rather simple ability. Jaune had the ability to take complete control of another living creature. His semblance was something that not even his family was aware of. Jaune was stronger than he let on, between training with Pyrrha and sneaking off to practice his semblance on Grimm in the Emerald Forest, he would be among one of the strongest fighters in the whole academy if he used everything at his disposal. His bottom ranking on the beacon scoreboard didn't bother him, in fact it only made his secret all the easier to keep. However today his ranking was part of the topic of debate at his lunch table.

"Team RWBY is the better team! We could kick your butts!" the miniscule leader of team RWBY declared, striking a dramatic pose on the table.

"JNPR all the way!" Nora responded, striking an equally dramatic pose face to face with the girl in red as her teammates grinned at her antics.

"We do have the strongest fighter," Ren calmly interjected, gesturing to Pyrrha across the table where Pyrrha simply waved in response.

"Yang and Blake could take her together," Weiss haughtily threw back to the black haired boy.

"Leaving it down to a two v three match," Pyrrha pointed out.

"Really a two v two," Blake stated, causing Jaune to grimace a bit. He didn't mind his ranking but, hearing it from the people that he called friends wasn't enjoyable.

"Yeah, Vomit Boy is a real weak link for you guys," Yang said jokingly.

"Let's prove it then," Jaune said softly, rapidly quieting the table. He knew he shouldn't. He was already and angry, and in the back of his mind he knew that his secret might come out. "Four v four, combat class, Goodwitch refs." RWBY looked at each other, hesitation clear on their face. Something about his confidence throwing them a bit.

"Alright, combat class it is" Ruby agreed.

The tension in Goodwitch's classroom was palpable. As team JNPR examined their weapons, preparing for the coming fight, Jaune looked across the room where team RWBY was going through their own preparations. As the sounds of the students chatter echoed through the room Jaune formulated a plan in his head. From the earlier conversation he knew that Yang and Blake would likely team up against Pyrrha, giving them a good chance to overwhelm the renowned tournament fighter. All he had to do was draw one of them off of Pyrrha long enough for the redhead to take care of the other while Ren and Nora handled Ruby and Weiss. His train of thought was cut short by Goodwitch announcing thirty seconds until the start of the match.

"Alright Ren, you and Nora will take on Rubes and Weiss. I'll try to get Yang or Blake off of Pyrrha." Jaune spoke quietly to his team as they approached the ring, "Pyrrha, as soon as you're done with whoever stays on you come help me." His team nodded approval to the simple plan he put forth. Jaune was nothing if not a strategist. The bell rang signaling the start of match.

"LET'S BREAK THEIR LEGS!" an excited Nora shouted as she bolted across the arena towards Weiss, hammer hefted above her head. By her side Ren engaged Ruby, shots from Stormflower peppering the girl in between dodges of the scythe. True to his predictions, Yang and Blake bolted towards Pyrrha, hoping to take her out of the fight early. Blake arrived at Pyrrha's position seconds before Yang, striking horizontally with Gambol Shroud at the champions waist. Just before making contact Pyrrha's shield slid into place, the barrel of her rifle peaking over the top of the hoplon. As Yang attempted to follow up the sword strike with a punch to the redhead's open side Jaune saw his opening and slid into place. The loud clang of Yang's gauntlet striking his shield reverberated across the arena. Yang's eyes widened in shock, not even having seen the other blonde a moment prior.

"Out of the way Vomit Boy, gotta deal with P-Money before before taking you down," Yang exclaimed confidently. Jaune's response came in the form of his sword swinging for her head. "Not messing around huh?" She quipped as she ducked easily beneath the old sword. Jaune didn't respond, wholly focused on keeping the blonde berserker off of his partner. Yang glanced at Blake, silently letting her know that she'd return to help with Pyrrha after handling Jaune. Receiving a subtle nod from the cat faunus she returned her attention to her new opponent. "So Jaune," she began, throwing a punch at his right which he narrowly dodged, "Xiao-Long have you been waiting for all this to be all over you?" She finished, hoping to break his unnerving silence with her trademark puns and meaningless flirting. For her efforts she took the shield of Crocea Mors to her chest, knocking her back a few feet. Jaune knew the silence would get to his opponent, he just had to keep her attention until Pyrrha could come pull his ass out of the fire.

That would, of course, only lend to his leech reputation he mused bitterly. The two blondes' exchange paused briefly as a blur of white flew between them followed by a cackling streak of pink and orange. Yang recovered from the sight first, her first making firm contact against his jaw. The impact threw him across the arena, slamming into Ruby and saving Ren from Crescent Rose mid-swing. "Sorry Sis!" Yang called as Jaune jumped back to his feet and rushed her, his aura protecting him from the normally debilitating strike. From the corner of his eye he noticed that Pyrrha and Blake hadn't made much progress in their fight. The smaller girl was clearly outclassed, but her shadow semblance had leveled the playing field a good bit. "You can't beat me Vomit Boy," Yang said, breaking him from his thoughts, "everyone knows you're JNPR's weak link, and that I always end a fight with a Yang," Across the arena he could hear Nora laughing at the bad joke even as his anger began to boil over.

"Once I beat you, I'll help Blake with Pyrrha and then the fight will be over!" The girl stated cheerily, throwing another punch at the knight. He could tell his opponent was trying to rile him up but that knowledge didn't stop his blinding anger. "How'd you get into Beacon anyways?" She questioned as she rushed Jaune, arm cocked back. The reminder of his forged acceptance was the final straw, and he snapped. The room stilled for a moment, everyone too shocked to comprehend the sight in front of them. The unstoppable Yang Xiao-Long seemed to be suspended in place. Her arm extended before her, her fist stopped just inches from Jaune's nose. Her eyes wide in confusion. Jaune's sword clattered to the floor, his now empty hand outstretched in his fellow blonde's direction.

Then the inconceivable happened. Yang, as if possessed, sprinted away from her opponent, tackling both herself and Blake out of the ring. The first to react in the ensuing chaos, Nora swung her hammer in wide arc, solidly impacting the Schnee heiress in the face. Almost simultaneously Pyrrha and Ren rounded on Ruby and the leader of team RWBY fell to hail of bullets from the pair. Silence sat over the room, but only for a few seconds, before many of the first year students began yelling over each other, while several groups of second years quietly muttered among themselves. After a few moments Goodwitch spoke over the racket.

"The victors are team JNPR," Confusion was evident in her voice. Jaune took a second to look around the room, taking in the faces of the students he could see. Team RWBY looked confused and afraid, a stark contrast to the excited glee of JNPR. In the crowd he noticed a pensive Yatsuhashi of team CVFY, and caught a respectful nod from his once antagonist, Cardin. What stood out the most however was the thoughtfully concerned expression that passed over Goodwitch's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Within moments of Glenda's call, Jaune was halfway across the arena, moving rapidly towards Yang. His primary concern was making sure the brawler was alright. His team converged on him as he approached the blonde, but he waved them off with a quick, "I'll explain later." As he reached Yang's position she met him with a mix of cheer and nervousness from her.

"Hey ladykiller, you really swept me off my feet," she said to the knight's relief.

"Really a janitorial pun?" He deadpans in return, extending a hand to help her up. As she reached for his hand it was knocked away by her feline partner.

"Get away from her," Blake hissed, positioning herself defensively between the two blondes. Jaune recoiled, hands held up, a look of hurt flashing across his face. As Yang stood up, clearly ready to diffuse the situation, the other half of team RWBY came to the unnecessary defense of their teammate. Ruby pulled her sister away from the perceived threat as Weiss slid into position next to Blake, hand on her rapier. Jaune could hear his team coming up behind him, ready to intervene. He quickly signaled them to stay back, hoping to avoid increasing the tension.

"Stay back Arc," Weiss demanded, "We won't let you hurt her."

"It's fine Weiss-icle," Yang tried to interject but was shushed by her sister.

"That's quite enough," Goodwitch said before the exchange could continue, "A victor has already been declared, please return to your seats." Part of Jaune was thankful for the professor's intervention until she added, "Mr. Arc, please see Professor Ozpin after dinner."

Jaune took a deep breath as his teammates stared at him, waiting for his explanation. The air in JNPR's dorm positively crackled with anticipation and electricity, in Nora's case. Pyrrha sat on her bed, her usual smile adorning her face. Ren patiently sat upon his desk, legs crossed and hands clasped, ready to listen. Nora was sprawled across her bed, head hanging upside down over the edge.

"Come on Jaune-Jaune," Nora finally exclaimed after a few more moments of silence, "Tell us how you did that to Yang." she sing-songed.

"We are rather curious," Ren added, his statement being a bit more tactful than his ginger partner, "If you are worried about judgement you don't need to be."

"We know you're not a monster Jaune," Pyrrha said, "We just wish we knew about it beforehand."

"What I did to Yang was my semblance," Jaune hesitantly began, "It allows me to take control of any living thing; people, animals, even grimm." As he looked around at his team they nodded at him, encouraging him to continue. "I discovered it when I was a little kid, a Beowolf attacked me and my older cousin in the woods near my hometown. I took control of it and sent it running while he carried me back towards town.

"Wait, wait, wait," Nora shouted, "You mean to tell us that you have a cousin on top of the seven sisters? Was anyone in your town not an Arc?" The excitable girl inquired.

"Twenty-seven of them actually, in fact a few will probably be here for the Vytal festival." The room went silent at his reply, clearly shocked by the large number.

"Back to your semblance," Ren helpfully suggested after a brief lull in the conversation. A thought which the two girls mirrored, nodding enthusiastically.

"Well my parents didn't want me to become a hunter so they refused to train me. For a little that was that, my dream of becoming a hunter was over before it even began. Then my uncle came back from a long term mission, he heard how I sent off the Beowolf and decided to train me. We spent years training my semblance and my hand to hand."

"Why were so bad with your sword then?" Nora asked, gesturing to Crocea Mors at his side.

"Well I only got Crocea Mors a few months before Beacon, I had to prove that I was ready," Jaune shrugged, nonplussed by the excitable girl's blunt question. "Dad had me survive a week in the Forever Fall to earn it. Same as him and his father before him." A look of concern passed over Pyrrha's face at that. "Anyway's training with Uncle X really helped me get a hold of what I could and couldn't do."

"So what can it do exactly?" Pyrrha asked, eyebrow raised, "Does it have any weaknesses?" Jaune paused for a moment thinking about his power.

"Well with enough training a person can fight off its effects," he said, "Oh, and I can only use it on two or three targets at a time."

"Well, now we're faced with a question." Ren said, Jaune looked at the other boy expecting words of judgement, "How can we best use your abilities with ours?" As Jaune finally relaxed the four began to talk strategy. As they talked time seemed to fly, the minutes drawing into hours. Jaune glanced at his scroll and noticed the time.

"Dinner is almost done," he interrupted Nora and Pyrrha discussing a new training schedule, "You guys head down and grab me something, I'll meet you back here after talking to Ozpin," The knight ducked into the hall and began the trek towards the headmaster's office.

As Jaune looked across the headmaster's desk at the green eyed man, he was struck by just how intimidating Ozpin could appear. Thinking back to his first day at Beacon he remembered how off the man seemed while giving his welcome speech. At the time he hadn't seemed intimidating, just strange. Now as the man stared back at Jaune over his cup of coffee it felt as if he was suffocating just from the tension in the room.

"Mr. Arc," the professor started as he set down his coffee, "It seems that you have a rather powerful semblance," The man paused giving Jaune an opportunity to speak, one he didn't take, "The puppetmaster semblance is a rare one indeed." Jaune's eyes widened at the headmaster's knowledge. Still, he remained silent. "What I'm about to offer is not to be taken lightly Mr. Arc. Only one team a year gets this opportunity."

"In that case Sir," Jaune said, stumbling a little over his words, "I'll have to talk to my team before making any sort of decision." At this the headmaster cracked half a smile.

"Of course Mr. Arc, if this weren't the case then you clearly wouldn't be the correct choice. Team JNPR is being given the opportunity to become operators, like team CVFY. Essentially a team of special operation hunters."

"What would that entail, sir?" Jaune asked.

"More classes, more assignments, higher level field missions," the professor began to list, "Of course it's more than just added responsibilities; your team would have access to the weapons workshop normally reserved for third years and would have a dedicated transport. Additionally, you would receive instruction from higher level instructors."

"Higher level instructors?" Jaune asked.

"Of course Mr Arc, you didn't think that Glynda, Bartholomew, and Peter were the only professors at this school, did you?" Jaune cracked a grin as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "If your team chooses to accept you'll take on classes in dust manipulation, weapon maintenance, strategy, and various types of combat," Jaune nodded, contemplating the man's words. "If you have no questions that will be all." As Jaune stood and left Ozpin's office the headmaster called after him, "Mr. Arc, I expect your answer by the end of the weekend."

As Jaune wandered back to his dorm, lost in thought, he collided with what seemed to be a mountain. As his forward momentum had been halted his body did the only thing that it could and promptly hit floor. As he looked up at the figure that he had run into he realized that it was no mountian at all but rather Yatsuhashi Daichi, the giant of team CFVY.

"Oh hey Yatsu," Jaune said from his position on the floor, making no effort to get up.

"Jaune," the larger man replied, "Your fight today was most spectacular."

"Yeah, it sure was something," Jaune mumbled, "Hey can I ask you about something?" The other student replied with a quiet nod, "Ozpin offered JNPR an operator position, CFVY is an operator team right? What's that like?" Yatsu looked pensive at the question, in fairness that was his expression in most cases.

"To become an operator is a great honor, but it comes at price," Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but stopped at Yatsu's raised hand, "It will distance you from your classmates and that distance will only be furthered by what you see on missions. All of CFVY bear scars from our missions, physically and mentally. The only advice I can give is consult your team." Jaune nodded as the giant pulled him to his feet. He walked back even more conflicted than before. Before he reached the dorm, he had decided to sleep on it, and discuss with his team tomorrow.


End file.
